Teaching Essentials [Paperback]

What makes a teacher outstanding? More than anything, its a way of being with kids in the classroom that lets them know theyre smart and capable of high achievement. When you combine this mind set with effective instruction, teaching and learning are transformed. In Teaching Essentials, Regie Routman gives us as much of a blueprint for achieving this powerful, responsive teaching as were ever going to get.

Drawing on her extensive work with students who have excelled against great odds, Regie shares the principles and practices that help all students and teachers reach their full potential. Teaching Essentials shows teachers and principals how to build an efficient and joyful practice by:

setting lessons and activities in a meaningful context
using an Optimal Learning Model to organize teaching and gradually release responsibility to students
demonstrating reading, writing, and thinking for students so they have explicit models to follow
articulating high expectations for every student, including ELLs and struggling learners, and ensuring that they meet them
embedding assessment into all aspects of instruction and planning
employing the reading-writing connection to improve comprehension
motivating writers by always writing for real audiences and purposes
implementing a schoolwide coaching model for higher achievement and a more fulfilling collaboration with colleagues.